Wire-tightener.



No. 791,583. I I PATENTED JUNE 6, 1995. 0. L. SAWYER. WIRE TIGHTENER.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 14,1904.

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PATEN-TED JUNE 6, 1905 0. LQSAWYBR. WIRE TIGHTENER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 14,1904.

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PATENT ()FFICE.

CHARLES L. SAWYER, OF ERVING, MASSACHUSETTS.

WIREV-TIGHTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 791,583, dated June 6,1905.

i Application filed November 14:, 1904. Serial No 232,765.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES L. SAWYER, a citizen'of the UnitedStates,residin g at Erving, in the county of Franklin and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inWire-Tighteners; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to wire-tighteners designed more especially for useby electricians in wiring inside work; and one of the objects of thesame is to provide a device of comparatively simple construction whichwill grasp two parallel wires and stretch them properly through thecleats which serve to secure the wires to a wall or ceiling.

Another object is to provide a special tool for this class of servicewhich will be com paratively quick in its action and which will yield tothe varying conditions in taking up the slack insulated wires.

I attain these and other objects by means of the constructionillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is aperspective view of a device made in accordance with my invention andshowing the tightener in position for stretching the wires and alsoshowing in dotted lines the position which the structure is made toassume to draw the wires tightly through the cleat. Fig. 2 is alongitudinal section through the gripping-jaw. Fig. 3 is a transversesection of the same. Fig. 4 is a detail view of one of the jaws. Fig. 5is a similar view of the other jaw, and Fig. 6 is an under side planView of a jaw guide or keeper.

Referring to the accompanying drawings for a more particular descriptionof my invention, the numeral 1 designates a frame or base portionprovided with a foot 2, which extends upwardly to form a bridge, the0pposite side of said bridge being provided with an abutment 8, designedto bear against one edge of a cleat, as shown in Fig. 1, and at pointsnear the outer ends of the abutment grooves or slots 4 are formed inextensions 5 of said abutment, said grooves or slots being substantiallythe same distance apart as the parallel wires usedfor inside work onelectric wires vfor fans and other similar devices. An arm 6 extendscentrally from the abutment, and its outer end 7 is curved ,up-

wardly, as shown, to provide a bearing for a pintle 8, which passesthrough the bearings 9 in a stretching-lever 10 to pivot said lever tothe arm 6. ing-lever 10 a pair of gripper-jaws are mounted to movelaterally within a guideway or keeper 11, said guideway being providedwith an elongated slot 12 and side flanges 13, which are grooved ontheir inner walls, as at 14. The movable jaws 15 16 are connected to theguideway 11 by means of lugs 17, bent to embrace the edges of thekeeper. Stops 18 are formed by the projecting ends 19 of the flanges 18,as shown. The movable jaw 15 is provided with a tapering cam or rib uponits inner edge, while the jaw 16 is provided with a similar cam or ribto overlie the cam on the jaw 15, as shown, each jaw having a groove 20upon its outer edge and a pin or screw 21 passing through the outer endof the lever 10 and through the elongated slot 12 and extending betweenthe cams upon the inner edges of the jaws, said jaws sliding on the pin21 and said pin bearing against the cams to open or close the jaws,according to the direction of strain. A washer 23 bears upon thesurfaces of the cams to insure a smooth sliding operation of the pin.

The operation of my wire-stretcher may be described as follows: Theframe is placed with the abutment against one edge of a cleat, and thewires are passed over the abutment and through the slots or grooves inthe extended ends thereof, the stretching-lever then occupying theposition shown in full lines in Fig. 1. The wires are passed upwardbetween the outer edges of the jaws and the flanges on the guideway orkeeper. The stretching-lever is thrown down to the position shownindotted lines, the result of which operation is to clamp the wirestightly within the jaws by the action of the pin and cam as the wiresare stretched, owing to the increased distance between the abutment andthe jaws after the lever has been thrown to the dotted-line position.While in this position the screws a in At the outer end of thestretchthe cleat may be tightened and the stretching device subsequentlyremoved.

From the foregoing it will be obvious that my wire-stretcher when placedin position even when used in wiring a ceiling will be held or supportedin place, because the lever 10 is forced past the line of dead-center,and it thus becomes easier for it to remain in the air than to fall pastthe point of greatest tension. It thus leaves both hands of the operatorfree.

My device may be manufactured at comparatively slight cost and will befound a very eflicient and desirable tool for use by electricians.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is v 1. In a device of the character described, aframe provided with an abutment having extensions, a lever pivoted tosaid frame and carrying a pair of sliding jaws, cams on the jaws, and apin on the lever intermediate the cams, substantially as described.

2. In a wire-stretcher, a frame provided with an abutment having groovedlateral extensions, an arm extended from said abutment, a lever pivotedto said arm, a guideway connected to said lever, a pair of sliding jawsWithin the guidcway, cams on the jaws, and a pin intermediate the cams,said jaws sliding on said pin to clamp parallel wires between the outeredges of the jaws and the guideway, substantially as described.

3. A wire-stretcher comprising a frame or bridge, an abutment, anextended arm, a stretching-lever pivoted to said arm, a guidewayprovided with a slot and connected to said lever, a pair of jawsprovided with cams, a pin intermediate the cams and lugs on the jaws forconnecting them to the guideway, substantially as described In testimonywhereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribingwitnesses.

CHARLES L. SAWYER.

Witnesses:

CLINTON E. SPEER, WM. C. D. THOMAS.

